Mendicino wins, Oliver loses Eglinton-Lawrence

It was among the highest-profile victories in an evening full of them for the federal Liberal party: Conservative incumbent Joe Oliver lost the riding of Eglinton-Lawrence to Liberal candidate Marco Mendicino on Oct. 19.

“Marco! Marco! Marco! Marco!” Mendicino’s supporters chanted before the lawyer and longtime resident of the riding began his acceptance speech.

“Tonight, my friends, this country has chosen real change,” Mendicino said to cheers.

“Tonight we’ve chosen to improve our housing, right here in this community, and lift over 300,000 children out of poverty,” he said. “Tonight we’ve chosen to protect our environment and to do more to preserve our planet for our children and our future generations…. And most importantly, tonight we have chosen to close the chapter on a decade of divisiveness… and to bring Canadians together as we have never done before.”

Joined onstage by his family, including wife Diana and daughters Michaela and Gemma, Mendicino also thanked Oliver for running a “very tough and competitive” campaign, noting the former finance minister “deserves recognition” for his time in office.

According to Elections Canada, Mendicino received 27,494 votes – about 49.6 percent of the total in Eglinton-Lawrence – while Oliver received 21,601 votes, about 39 percent. Most of the riding’s remaining ballots were cast for former Saskatewan finance minister and NDP candidate Andrew Thomson, who received 3,096 votes, or Green Party candidate Matthew Chisholm, with 2,748 votes.

Mendicino also thanked his supporters for helping him throughout both his campaigns — the 78-day federal election, and his earlier campaign to secure the federal Liberal nomination for Eglinton-Lawrence, which began in 2014 and made national headlines in February when former Conservative MP Eve Adams announced her intent to run for the Liberals in the riding.

Management consultant Stuart McRae, wearing a red “Vote Marco” t-shirt on election night, had been among the Eglinton-Lawrence residents who supported Mendicino’s initial nomination campaign.

“This is a man who cares about his people, who cares about North Toronto — who is absolutely genuine and sincere in what he does,” McRae said. “I have confidence that with Marco in Ottawa, we are going to be well-represented.”

Mendicino’s supporters hadn’t begun the evening quite so relaxed. Unlike Oliver’s post-campaign gathering, which was held at the Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club and invited visitors to watch the Blue Jays playoff game projected onto a big screen, the guests at Mendicino’s post-campaign gathering at 3220 Dufferin St. started by silently watching the news with no game to distract them from initial results that showed Oliver leading in votes.

But soon Mendicino’s numbers began going up. And up. And up. Before long everyone was cheering whenever Mendicino’s name was shown on television, and the cheers became louder as the evening wore on.

At about 11:30, Oliver conceded defeat.

At midnight, supporters began chanting as Mendicino himself entered, flanked by his wife and Eglinton-Lawrence MPP Mike Colle.

“We need a federal Liberal with a strong local voice,” Colle said. “The people in this riding have to be respected.”

Sharing a drink with supporters afterward, Oliver appeared at peace with the election results, both local and national, that ultimately secured a majority government for the federal Liberals — including all 25 ridings in Toronto.

“The outcome was primarily a result of a fairly deep, widespread desire for change,” Oliver said. “And that expressed itself in Liberal victories across the country, including Eglinton-Lawrence.”